Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a new proposal Wednesday to further restrict so‑called “ghost guns” that can be assembled using parts manufactured on 3D printers.
The proposal, which requires legislative approval, would establish criminal penalties for the manufacture of 3D‑printed firearms and mandate minimum safety standards for 3D printer manufacturers to help “block the production” of firearms and gun components. The bill would also require traditional gunmakers to design pistols so they cannot be modified into machine guns and oblige local police departments and sheriffs’ offices to report recoveries of 3D‑printed guns.
Hochul said as firearm technology continues to evolve, the proposed regulations would help the state uphold its “strongest‑in‑the‑nation” gun control laws and continue its progress in reducing gun violence, with the latest data showing a 60% reduction in shootings in New York City over the past year.
“Public safety is one of my top priorities,” Hochul said in remarks Wednesday. “From the iron pipeline to the plastic pipeline, these proposals will keep illegal ghost guns off of New York streets, and enhance measures to track and block the production of dangerous and illegal firearms in our state.”
New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg supports Hochul’s proposal. He said while homicides and shootings are declining, the “widening threat” from 3D‑printed firearms is increasing.
“These illegal firearms are being manufactured in homes and used in crimes right now, which is why I have been working with my colleagues in Albany and the private sector over the past several years to stop their proliferation,” Bragg said. “Passing these measures will reduce crime and strengthen public safety for all New Yorkers, and I thank Governor Hochul for her continued leadership and collaboration.”
Unlike commercially made serialized firearms, “ghost” guns can be assembled using parts created on milling machines and 3D printers. These weapons can circumvent background checks, convicted‑felon restrictions and waiting periods because they are sold as components rather than completed guns, authorities say.
A 3D‑printed ghost gun was allegedly used by Luigi Mangione to kill United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen shooting in downtown Manhattan more than a year ago.
While New York already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, gun control advocates argue the state needs to close “loopholes in the laws that have allowed untraceable ‘ghost’ weapons to proliferate.”
Hochul signed a bill in 2021 banning untraceable ghost guns in New York by criminalizing their sale, requiring serialization, and closing loopholes that allowed parts to be bought and assembled without background checks. But critics say the measure failed to criminalize the manufacturing of firearm components using 3D printers, which has allowed their proliferation despite tougher rules.
Second Amendment groups argue tougher gun controls only punish law‑abiding owners and note that most guns recovered from crime scenes originated in legal markets before they were diverted into criminal hands, either through theft or illegal sales.
